A deadly midday shooting outside a New London apartment complex has left an 18-year-old dead as police investigate. Richard Rowell Jr. was found inside a vehicle with a gunshot wound Wednesday after officers responded to a report of shots fired just after noon, and he was later pronounced dead at the hospital.
Officers were called to 153 Garfield Ave. around 12:04 p.m. Wednesday for a report of shots fired, according to WJAR. Rowell was found inside a vehicle with a gunshot wound and taken to Lawrence + Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, per the station's report. New London police have said the shooting did not appear to be a random act, though they have not released details about a suspect or motive. Official records show Rowell was born on April 15, 2008, making him 18 years old at the time of his death, according to the New London Police Department.
State Police and Prosecutors Join the Investigation
The New London Judicial District State's Attorney's Office and the Connecticut State Police Major Crime Unit – Eastern District have been called in to assist the New London Police Department's Investigative Services Section with the homicide investigation, the department said. That level of outside support signals the resources being devoted to identifying whoever opened fire in broad daylight at a residential complex.
The shooting unfolded in the parking lot of Garfield Avenue Apartments, a 38-unit residential complex at 143–153 Garfield Avenue that was purchased for $4.6 million in January 2026, according to Chozick Realty. The property consists of two apartment buildings.
A Pattern of Targeted Shootings in New London
This is not the first time New London police have determined a fatal shooting was not a random act. In March 2025, police investigated another non-random fatal shooting on Moore Avenue, in which an adult male victim was shot in the torso and pronounced dead at Lawrence + Memorial Hospital, per the same radio station's prior reporting.
No information has been made public about the relationship, if any, between Rowell and whoever is responsible for his death.
Community Resources and Legal Stakes
New London is served by the Ledge Light Health District, which receives grant funding from the Connecticut Department of Public Health to deploy community health workers aimed at interrupting cycles of interpersonal violence, according to state health officials. Public health frameworks increasingly treat gun violence as a preventable community issue rather than an inevitability.
If a suspect is eventually identified and charged, Connecticut law treats murder as a Class A felony under Connecticut General Statutes § 53a-54a, punishable by a mandatory minimum prison sentence of 25 years up to a maximum of 60 years, with no eligibility for probation, according to Kevin Smith Attorney at Law. Connecticut law requires prosecutors to prove intent to cause death to secure a conviction on that charge.
The investigation remains ongoing, and police have not announced any arrests. Anyone with information is asked to contact the New London Police Department Detective Bureau at 860-447-1481, or submit an anonymous tip by texting NLPDTip along with the information to Tip411 at 847411.
